Wave-motor.



H. J. LAWRENCE.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I.1913.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. LAWRENCE.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, 1913.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

JzGZZZa/Wramw COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPI'I 60., WASHINGTON. D c,

rio.

HENRY J. LAWRENCE, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

WAVE-MOTOR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. LAWRENCE, citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of'California have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wave- Motors of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wave motors and has as its object to provide a wave motor which in operation will transmit power evenly and continuously so that the objectionable intermittent power transmission commonto the ordinary types of Wave motors is avoided and as a consequence the present wave motor is better adapted for general use and in fact can be employed under conditions where intermittent transmission of power would be useless.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the motor that the power gen erated thereby will not depend for its production' upon the lifting power of the waves or swells but will result from a positive fall of thewave impact member or members of the motor after having been elevated or thrown up by the impact of the waves.

'Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the motor that any number of wave impact members and the system of levers actuated thereby may be assembled in aseries or group of series Without altering the construction of the system or systems of levers and impact members initially set up.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the motor and arrange the system or systems of levers and the impact membersthat the impact members will be acted upon both at low and high tide so that the motor will be serviceable at all times.

The invention further aims to so construct the motor that it will not be liable to be damaged or disarranged in any ordinary storm and in this connection the invention further contemplates that the motor shall be capable of arrangement upon the bed of the body of water and at all times properly supported without the necessity of driving piles or providing other similar supporting structures for the purpose stated.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is atop plan view of one section of the motor embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a section of the motor illustrating in full and dotted lines the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 27, 1913.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Serial No. 786,872.

movements of the parts at high tide; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the movements of the parts at low tide and illustrating in side elevation the power transmitting mechanism for the motor; and Fig. 4L is a plan view, parts being shown in section, of the power transmitting mechanism.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The motor embodying the present invention includes a number of shafts which support for rocking movement the systems of levers which are actuated through the rise and fall of the Wave impa'ct members and each system of levers is supported by a pair of shafts one indicated by the numeral 1 and the other by the numeral 2. These shafts may be mounted at their ends and if desired at intermediate portions, in suitable bearings and the entire number of shafts comprising the motor are connected by means of cables 3 which extend above the shafts and which are anchored on shore and at suitable points in the bed of the body of water at a suitable distance from the shore. In the preferred construction each system of levers includes a pair or set of lever arms 'fitted at their lower ends'in sockets 5 car ried by sleeves 6 mounted for rocking movement upon the shaft 1. The lever arms 4L converge upwardly and at their upper ends are fitted into sockets 7 united to each other and constituting a head to which is connected in the manner to be presently explained, the power transmitting cable of the motor. Each system of levers is actuated through the rise and fall of a wave impact member and each of the said members consists preferably of a two-part body indicated by the numeral 8 held in assembled relation by a band 9 fitted about the sections or parts and each part is provided with an inclined forwardly and downwardlypresented face 10 which constitutes the wave impact face of thesection. Each system of levers further includes lever arms 11 which are fitted at their lower and rear ends in sockets 12 upon bearing sleeves 13 mounted for rocking movement upon the shaft 2 and the said arms 11 converge forwardly and upwardly and are secured at their forward ends to the upper sides of the sections of the respective wave impact member. At this point it will be apparent that the waves striking the impact faces 10 of the member will act to throw the same in an upward and rearward direction and in order that this movement may be transmitted to the lever mem' her 1 a connection is provided which will now be described.

A socket member 13 is pivotally connected as at 14 to the upper side of the band 9 and fitted into this socket member is the forward end of a connecting rod 15, the other end of the rod being fitted in a similar socket 16 pivotally connected by means of a link 17 to the head 7. The pivot connecting the link and head 7 also serves to connect to the head a ferrule 18 secured to the forward end, or in some instances an intermediate point, of the power transmitting cable which is indicated by the numeral 19.

The power transmitting mechanism for the motor includes a shaft 20 which is mounted in any suitable manner (not shown), upon which shaft is fixed a sprocket gear 21 geared by means of a sprocket chain 22 with a similar gear 23 fixed upon the driven shaft of the mechanism indicated at 24, this latter shaft carrying a fly wheel indicated at 25. A pulley 26 is loosely fitted upon the shaft 20 and is located between the sprocket gear 21 and a ratchet 27 which is also fixed upon the shaft. The pulley 26 carries upon its face which is presented toward the'ratchet 27, a pawl 28 which cooperates with the ratchet whereby to connect the shaft for rotation with the pulley in one direction.

. The power transmitting cable 19 is led shoreward and while it may be connected at intermediate points with one or any desired number of the heads 7 of duplicate lever systems it is eventually passed once about the pulley 26 and led over an idle pulley 29 upon a shaft 30. A weight 31 is connected to the end of the cable and serves to hold the stretch of the cable taut at all times.

It will now be understood that when the impact member or members are thrown upwardly by the impact of the waves against their faces 10 the lever member comprising the arms 11 will bg swung upwardly and due to the connection provided between the wave impact member and the lever member 4, the said member 1 will be swung rearwardly thereby slackening the cable 19, or, more specifically, allowing same to run rearwardly over the pulleys 26 and 29, the pawl 28 at such timeriding freely over the ratchet 27. When the wave impact member has been lifted to the fullest extent and the wave has receded or broken, the impact member having considerable mass, will drop thereby swinging the lever member 4 in a forward direction and exerting a forceful pull upon the power transmitting cable 19. As thecable 19 runs forwardly the pawl 28 will cooperate with the ratchet 27 to connect the pulley 26 with the shaft 20 and as a consequence said shaft 20 will be rotated forwardly thereby transmitting power to the shaft 2 1.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be understood that when the motor is operating at high tide the wave impact member or members will assume approximately the dot and dash line position and that the impact of a wave will serve to throw the member upwardly to approximately the full line position. In this instance the amplitude of movement of the wave impact member is equivalent to the distance between the points x and y and the amplitude of movement of the lever member 4 is equivalent to the distance between the points a and I). Also by reference to said Fig. 2 it will be observed that the lever members 1 and 11 cross or intersect each other and that the member 11 is of greater length between its point of connection with the shaft 2 and the pivot 14 than is the member lbetween its point of connection with the shaft 1 and the point of pivotal connection of the link 17 with its upper end and it will be understood that the relative lengths of these members 1 and ll'may be varied in accordance with the conditions under which the motor is to be operated. For example, if considerable power is required the length of the member 1 is decreased, but if relatively great amplitude of movement of this member is essential its length is increased. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that when the motor is working under low tide the impact member or members will assume approximately the position shown in broken lines in the said figure and that the member will be elevated by the impact of a wave to approximately the full line position, the movement of the member 4 being correspondingly indicated in broken and full upon receiving impact, to render the said element idle, a lever mounted at its lower end for rocking movement and connected with the said impact member, a second lever similarly mounted and to which the power transmitting element is connected, the levers being arranged in crossed relation, and operative connection between the upper ends of the said levers.

2. In a Wave motor, a power transmitting element, a wave impact member arranged, upon receiving impact, to render the said element idle, a lever mounted at its lower end for rocking movement and connected with the said impact member, a second lever similarly mounted and to which the power transmitting element is connected, and operative connection between the upper end of the said levers, the said levers differing in length and being arranged in crossed relation.

3. In a wave motor, a rocking lever member, a second rocking lever member arranged in crossed relation to the first mentioned member, a wave impact member carried by the second mentioned rocking lever member, a rod extending between the free ends of the said lever members, and a power transmitting element connected to the free end of the first mentioned rocking lever member.

i. In a wave motor, a lever member mounted at its lower'end for rocking movement, a second lever member arranged in crossed relation with respect to the firstmentioned member and mounted at its lower end for rocking movement, a wave impact member carried by the second-mentioned lever member at its upper end, a connecting rod pivotally connected to the upper ends of said lever members, and a power transmitting element connected to the upper end of the first-mentioned lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY J. LAWRENCE. [-L. s.] Witnesses:

F. G. YEOMANS, MARY M. LAWRENCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

